Cyclamen
Cyclamen persicum
Florist's cyclamen has heart-shaped, silver-patterned leaves and swept-back flowers in pink, red, purple and white, rising on slender stems in autumn and winter. It likes cool rooms and bright light.
Photo: Hanay · CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Essential Care Requirements
Light
Bright indirect light
Watering
Moderate
Water from below when the top of the soil is dry, keeping water off the tuber. Reduce watering when it goes dormant in summer.
Soil
Well-drained potting mix; pH 6.0–6.5.
Temperature and humidity
7–20 °C · Moderate humidity
Feeding
Feed every two weeks while flowering with a diluted fertilizer.
Pruning and propagation
Propagate by seed
Twist and pull faded flowers and yellow leaves from the base.
The tuber is especially toxic and can cause vomiting and, in large amounts, heart problems in pets.
Top Cultivation Tips
Keep in a cool room away from heaters.
Let it rest dry in summer, then restart in autumn.
Plant the tuber half above the soil.
Hardy cyclamen species grow outdoors in temperate gardens.
Common problems
Grey mould
A fungal rot that covers flowers, fruit and soft stems with fuzzy grey mould in cool, damp conditions.
How to treat it →DiseaseRoot rot
Roots decay in waterlogged soil, so the plant wilts and yellows even though the soil is wet.
How to treat it →PestSpider mites
Tiny sap-sucking mites that thrive in hot, dry conditions, causing speckled, dull leaves and fine webbing.
How to treat it →PestVine weevil
Adult beetles notch leaf edges at night, while their soil-dwelling grubs eat roots, often killing container plants before you notice.
How to treat it →
